Ziva's 'Secret' Admirer
by IMSLES
Summary: Tony wants to know who sent flowers to Ziva.  It seems like everyone knows but him.  Will he discover the identity?  What will he think if he does?  Winner of the NFA Odd Couple Challenge.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NCIS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS

A/N: Written for the NFA Odd Couple Challenge

Ziva's 'Secret' Admirer

"_Roses so red to match the blush that colors your cheeks"._ Tony snatched the card from the bouquet on Agent David's desk.

"Well, well Zee-vah who would be sending you flowers?" Special Agent Tony DiNozzo asked his new probationary agent.

"They are from an admirer," she smiled in reply touching the delicate petals with her fingertips.

"A secret admirer, isn't that a bit dangerous? How do we know he's not a stalker or something worse?" Tony began to search through the flowers for any sign of 'bugs'.

"It is only a secret to those who do not know. I know who my admirer is," she smiled.

"Do tell," Tony tilted his head to the side waiting for her to inform him.

"No, I think I will not. Some things are better of kept without light."

"It's 'kept in the dark'," Tony corrected narrowing his eyes at her and returning to his desk. _I will shed some light on this secret_, he promised himself.

"Forget the flowers. Grab your gear. Two bodies at Norfolk," team leader Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs barked passing through the bullpen, tossing the keys to Ziva.

Tony and Ziva were joined by their partner Tim McGee who had been quietly observing their prior exchange with delight. The three agents entered the elevator just before the doors slid closed.

At the crime scene Gibbs assigned the different tasks to his agents and the evidence was collected.

"What do you make of it Duck?" Gibbs asked their medical examiner, Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard. As he waited for the reply he finished up his coffee and stood slitting his eyes against the sun's glare.

"Well, Jethro, it appears are dearly departed petty officers met their demise by blunt force trauma to the back of their heads," the M. E. declared.

"Time of death?" Gibbs asked smashing his cup to stick in his pocket. He then shielded his eyes by cupping his hand over them and searched a branch over the body of Petty Officer Carl James. The other victim Petty Officer Nick Marks was a few feet away.

Looking at his liver probe Ducky answered, "I would estimate the time to be around 0200 this morning." He watched as Gibbs approached the tree placing his gloved hands on either side and his right foot flat against the trunk.

"Boss, should you be doing that?" Tim asked as he watched the older agent begin to climb the tree.

"Got a problem with it McGee?" he asked a single eyebrow raised and a blue eyed glare aimed at his target.

Looking at his partners who avoided eye contact with him he quickly replied shaking his head, "No. No problem."

"Good!" Gibbs preceded his climb to the branch holding the shiny object that caught his attention. Getting into reaching distance he pulled an evidence bag from his pocket, removed the piece of metal from the branch and dropped it into bag. He sealed the bag and pulling a pen from his pocket clicked it open and signed it.

"DiNozzo," he tossed the bag to Tony to put in the box with the rest of the evidence.

Tony examined the object through the bag, "What is it?"

"Don't know DiNozzo. That's Abby's job," he said referring to their forensic scientist Abigail Sciuto as he hopped down from the tree.

_Quite agile for a man his age_, Tony thinks, but doesn't dare say out loud. As he turns to place the bag with the rest of the evidence, he's not prepared for the WHACK to the back of his head.

"Boss?" he asks rubbing the commonly used 'wake-up' call delivered by his leader.

"I'm not that old DiNozzo," he smirks walking to his car.

Tony's jaw drops with disbelief, but soon he's shaking that off. The man does know EVERYTHING! _Wonder if he knows who sent Ziva the roses? Hmm…_

Tony maneuvered his way to drive back to the Navy Yard with Gibbs. Once in the car though he found he wasn't sure how to ask about Ziva's admirer without sounding like a jealous ex or spurned lover.

"Not tellin' you DiNozzo," he heard Gibbs answer his unspoken query.

"But, how'd…" he stammered, then smiled devilishly, "So you do know who it is?"

"I do and as long as Ziva keeps her love life out of the office, it's no never mind to me who she is seeing."

Tony rubbed his chin with his forefinger, pondering that tidbit of news. "Is she seeing someone at NCIS?"

"TONY," Gibbs wanted nothing more than to reach over and Gibbs' slap him into next week, but wary of his high rate of speed he left his hands to do the steering and just turned his glare on the younger agent.

"Got it!" Tony raised his eyebrows and put up his hands as if to surrender. "No Rule #12 breaking."

Eliminating his coworkers as possible suitors, Tony decided to concentrate on discovering if anyone else knew the mystery admirer's identity. He set his sights next on McGee. Tim- Mr. Loyalty, Honor and Honesty, a true boy scout, _That's my Probie_, Tony thought.

While doing background checks on the two victims and their families he eyed Tim searchingly.

"What do you want Tony?" Tim finally snapped under the scrutiny.

"Easy McTense. How's your search on possible suspects going?" Tony kept things work related.

"If that's all you want to know, it's going well. I have three possibles and one of them is the most likely. Another petty officer named Michael Hanks. He went on a weekend junket with Petty Officers Marks and James to Lucky Downs to bet on the ponies. Apparently he wasn't so lucky," McGee chuckled at his own witticism.

One Gibbs' glare got him sobered up and back on track.

"Right, well he lost big time while his buddies came out with quite the take. They managed to hit the Trifecta and between the two of them took in over $2,000."

"Sounds almost too pat Probie," Tony pushed.

"Perhaps, but that piece of metal Gibbs snatched from the tree is a piece of the binoculars found near PO Marks."

Tony tried but couldn't stop the image forming in his mind nor the chuckle that accompanied it, "Can't help picturing George McFly in 'Back to the Future' doing his so called bird watching when in fact he was spying on Lorraine in her bedroom, until he falls out of the tree. Maybe one of the P. O.'s is a peeping tom."

"In the middle of the woods? Surrounded by trees?" Tim was talking as if to a child, pointing out the unlikelihood of that premise. "What could someone possibly be 'peeping' at?"

"Good point," Tony looked sideways at his partner and pointed at him. "I'll just keep doing my checks."

Tim smiled and shook his head slightly at his teammate's incredible imagination.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NCIS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS

A/N: Written for the NFA Odd Couple Challenge

Ziva's 'Secret' Admirer

Chapter 2

Ziva entered the bullpen with lunch for everyone. After handing each agent their meal, she sat at her desk and made some calls searching for Petty Officer Hanks.

"He is at home, Gibbs. Do you wish for me to bring him in?" she asked.

"Well, yeah Ziva that would be good," Gibbs shooed her. "Take DiNozzo with you. McGee check with Abby. I'm going to see Ducky."

In Abby's lab, she was checking for prints on the binoculars. "Whatcha got Abs?" McGee asked.

"Wooo, so Gibb-like there McGee," she smiled at him. "I ran the prints and not surprising found a match for Marks. The piece Gibbs retrieved had one that matched to a Petty Officer Hanks."

"Tony and Ziva went to bring him in. Seems the three went out to the tracks and the winners became the losers."

Abby scowled at him. Tim looked sheepish.

"Anything else?"

"Well, the binoculars were the most likely instrument in the murders. Blood matching both victims is evident on them. How he could've gotten both of them I don't know."

"Guess we'll have to see what Ducky comes up with." Tim gave her a smile. "Good job Abs," he handed her the Caf-Pow he brought down for her.

"Any time McGee," she toasted him as he walked out toward the elevator.

In autopsy Ducky was telling Gibbs the same thing about the binoculars, but proved it by matching up the injuries to the shape of the lens.

"Must've been a heck of a whack to kill them. Did the other just stand by and watch?" he mused, wondering the same thing as his favorite forensic scientist did about Hanks killing both of them.

"I ran some blood tests and there was alcohol involved. It appears that our dearly departed men were both quite inebriated, Jethro. I do not think either was aware of what was happening to them."

"Hmm…," Gibbs turned to return to the bullpen to wait for Hanks to arrive.

Driving to Hanks' house gave Tony the chance to try more investigating on Ziva. "So your admirer, have you been seeing him for awhile?"

Smiling at her partner's unending need to know Ziva answered, "It has been a few months, though we have known each other a bit longer."

"So he didn't peak your interest right away?"

"I had found him quite the charmer when first we met. I did not know that he was really interested in me," she seemed to reminisce.

_Ah, now we are getting somewhere,_ Tony thought. "When did he first let you know he was interested?"

"Tony," Ziva stopped and looked at him.

"What?" Tony asked innocently.

"We are here. Can we please just get our suspect?"

Looking out his window he realized his time was up, for now. "Yes, let's get him back, so Gibbs can break him."

It didn't take long for Gibbs to get the answers out of the murderer. But as he conducted his interview, Tony had Tim in observation. He threw the questions at him quick hoping to catch him off guard and find out if he new about Ziva's flower sender.

"So those roses were pretty nice?"

"Huh, roses?" Tim was flustered for a second, then rolled his eyes up knowing Tony's obsession with finding out who sent Ziva the bouquet. "I'm not telling you Tony."

"You know! How can so many of you know, but not me? I'm a skilled investigator. These things should not go unnoticed."

"Maybe you are too close to the case to see," McGee admonished himself quietly for divulging even that much. Trying to cover up he said, "It's not a huge secret to everyone that you are a bit taken by Ziva."

"Now McRomeo, my relationship with Ziva is purely professional. Do I find her attractive? Yes, but I find most women to be so. Do I flirt with her? Again, yes, but that is part of the DiNozzo charm."

Tim couldn't stop the laughter from escaping, but covered it with a nervous cough. "Yeah, you are quite the charmer, Tony."

_He won't crack,_ Tony realized. _Next on my list… Abby_.

Tony accepted Abby's hug entering into the lab and handing over his bribe of Caf-Pow. "Wow, Tony this is nice," she smiled gladly taking a sip from the straw.

"Anything for you Abby. You did some good work. Hanks didn't stand a chance against Gibbs."

"Well, I think Gibbs could've cracked him without the bit that I uncovered, but if it did help, great!"

"Of course it helps. Every little piece of evidence in a case makes it stronger," Tony thought of what to ask to add to his own investigation. "So did you hear about Ziva's present today?"

"You mean the roses?" seeing Tony nod, she continued, "Sure, it was my suggestion."

Tony's jaw dropped. This isn't possible. "Who did you suggest them to?" he found he couldn't stop from asking directly.

"Not my place to tell you Tony," she gave him a pitiful look. "If things continue as they are, I'm sure you'll find out sooner rather than later."

_It's already later_, he shook his head. "Gotta go Abs. Thanks for everything."

She gave him a wave as she turned taking another sip of her drink smiling.

When he got back upstairs the team was standing in the bullpen getting ready to leave for the day. Ziva had changed into a nice form fitting green dress that left no doubt she was meeting up with her mysterious admirer. _Maybe I should follow her,_ he plotted, but didn't want his ninja warrior to kill him, before he discovered the answer.

"Good job everybody. See you in the morning," Gibbs headed out first giving a stiff wave as he entered the elevator.

"Glad that case was an easy one in the end," Tim said. "Have a good night Tony. Ziva tell your date I said hi," he winked at her and smirked at Tony.

"UGH! Just tell me Ziva. I have to know."

"Oh my poor Tony. It is so much fun to watch you tumble about." She patted his cheek.

"It's fumble about, Zee. Please," he gave her a pleading look.

The elevator dinged and they watched Tim get in waving at someone already inside. To Tony's utter disbelief he saw his father exit wearing a very nice suit and tie. He made his way to where Ziva and Tony were standing.

"Dad? What brings you here?" Tony held his breath and clutched his hand. _Please don't let it be what I think it is!_

"I'm here to take out my beautiful lady."

_NOOOO._ Tony stopped breathing all together and closed his eyes. _Maybe it's just a dream, a nightmare actually._

He opened his eyes and saw them both standing there watching him arms around each other's waists. Tony finally took a breath and they appeared to relax as well.

"You're the secret admirer?" Tony twisted his neck and looked to the ceiling. "Well, I know she's a good woman, so you'd best not treat her badly. She could kill you with a paperclip," Tony was amused by that possibility.

"Ah, kid, I have no desire to treat her like anything but royalty." DiNozzo, Sr. told him. "Took me awhile to convince her to finally go out with me, but my charm finally won her over."

"Yeah, that ole DiNozzo charm. Works every time," Tony smiled grimly. "You two have fun tonight. Make sure you don't tell me about it in the morning, Mom," he teased.

Ziva swatted at his arm, "Do not call me that. Yet." She smiled as she turned with her date and left Tony standing there with his head in his hands shaking it back and forth.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NCIS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS

A/N: Written for the NFA Odd Couple Challenge

Ziva's 'Secret' Admirer

Chapter 3

_Why? Why him?_ Tony couldn't wrap his mind around it. _Ziva and my dad? Of all people why would she stab me in the back?_ The more Tony thought about it, the more he came to disbelieve it more and more.

If everyone knew about him sending her the flowers and they all knew that he had such a dysfunctional relationship (to put it mildly) with his old man, how could they all keep it a secret from him.

Tony set himself on a new mission. There was more to this then met the eye. His gut was now churning and he always followed his gut.

First, he had to search around for any obvious clues. If there was something going on the others were in on, they may have left something out in the open. He searched around the desk tops for any notes or other hints to what the devil was going on.

Finding nothing that was of any use, he made a call to Jimmy Palmer, assistant medical examiner, his own 'autopsy gremlin' who became an advocate when he needed him most.

"Palmer," he answered after the first ring.

"Jimmy, it's Tony. Can you meet me at my place in twenty minutes?" he asked hurriedly.

"Sure, what's up?" Palmer asked excited to be in on a possible new case.

"I'll explain when you get there." Tony hung up and made a quick exit ensuring he had all his gear with him.

When Jimmy got to the door, Tony pulled it open before he could knock. "Come on in here." He practically yanked the young M.E.'s arm out of its socket.

"I need to ask you something first," he stared him in the eyes.

"Wh-What do you want to know?" Jimmy stammered.

"Did you know that my dad," Tony grimaced, "was sending Ziva flowers?"

Shaking his head side to side Tony could tell he was just as disgusted as he was himself.

"That's a start." Tony ran his hand through his hair. "We need to get to the root of this Palmer. Ziva is acting like she's all taken by him, but I don't buy it. I've used the same charm, better, and she never fell for it."

"But Tony, rule 12. She couldn't go for you and keep her job. Gibbs would never allow it," Jimmy tried to come up with something to explain the impossible idea of Ziva with DiNozzo Sr.

"Alright, let's go with that. She can't be with me, so what? She's substituting him for me? That's even a sicker scenario than her actually falling for him."

"That's not what I meant, exactly." Jimmy was out of his depth with this, but he wanted to help. "What can I do Tony?"

Tony clapped his hands. "We are going to find out where they are having dinner at. We'll observe and you tell me what you make from their exchanges."

"I don't have Ducky's degree, but I'll do my best," Jimmy promised.

"Right. Now I know my dad and his favorite restaurant has always be Lucita's. So let's go. I'll drive."

True to his pattern DiNozzo Sr. had his window seat at Lucita's. Ziva sat across the table smiling and looking all the part of a girl swept off her feet by the charm's of an older man. Tony wanted to hit somebody, but refrained from making that somebody Palmer. Jimmy flinched feeling the mental jab of his colleague.

"Okay, to me it looks like a true albeit stomach turning date. How about to you?" Tony asked the younger spy.

"Well, at first glance yes. Ziva is very good at playing her role in a loving couple. Remember the times she was with you, for example. Everyone believed you were actually, well, you know that time in the apartment," Jimmy blushed and dropped that explanation.

"Fine, I get your point Palmer," Tony spoke through gritted teeth. "You do think she's acting then?"

"I do," he stated confidently. "See when she drops her head to let her hair fall in her face; she's actually scanning the room. When your dad appears to be leaning forward to whisper things in her ear, he's looking at the table behind her with the two foreign looking gentlemen."

"Foreign? How can you tell?" Tony looked at them closer. "Oh, you are good Palmer. I wasn't really paying attention to them, but yeah I can see it now. I wonder what they have to do with this."

Tony looked around a bit more and saw that Tim was sitting at the bar casually talking to a young barmaid, but strategically he could see both tables. This was some case they had set up, but why wouldn't they include him. He knows his dad's dealings better than anyone and would be none to thrilled to stop him from causing more trouble.

As he was feeling put out by being left out, he saw the two gentlemen get up as if to leave. Ziva chose that moment to slide her seat back like she needed to get up in a hurry, tossing a glass of water in DiNozzo Sr.'s face (OH Yeah, thought Tony that's my sweet cheeks). She turned to apologize to the gentleman behind her, but as she did she swung him around and flattened him to his table pulling her gun out to stop the other man from leaving.

_WOW, she is awesome!_ Tony smiled. Tim approached quickly flashing his badge to the patrons to keep panic to a minimum.

Gibbs then rushed in to apprehend the man Ziva had pinned while Tim grabbed the other. They left the restaurant pushing both men into the back of an FBI car driven by Agent Tobias Fornell (_The FBI, who didn't know about this whole set up beside me and Palmer_, Tony could only shake his head.).

Seeing Tim, Ziva and his dad leaving together, but Ziva getting into her own car Tony hung his head. "Sorry Palmer. Guess this was just one of those 'Hey let's not involve Tony in this' cases.

"I'm sure it had to do with your dad being at the center of it. You know conflict of interest sort of thing." Jimmy tried to make Tony feel better, but even he thought Tony could've separated his feeling for his father from a case, even it apparently was one that was on his father's side.

"Let's go. Thanks for coming out and assisting me. I know you'll always have my six."

Those words normally would've filled Jimmy with warmth, but somehow it made him feel cold inside. Tony lost faith in his team, or at least believed they lost it in him.

"You sure you don't want me to stick around," Jimmy asked fearing what Tony might do in his current state of mind.

"I'm not going to do anything stupid. Go. I need to think about things."

Jimmy left, but begrudgingly.

The next day in the bullpen Gibbs was looking at his watch anger brewing, "Where's DiNozzo?"

"Don't know, Boss," Tim shrugged. "I'll try calling his cell."

"You do that!" Gibbs barked. Then he looked at Ziva.

"I have not heard from him since I left last night," she explained. "He was not happy that I was leaving with his father."

"I imagine he wouldn't have been," Gibbs frowned. "I'm going to his place. If he shows up ring me." He headed for the elevators. When it arrived a harried looking Tony stumbled off.

"DiNozzo, where've you been?" Gibbs asked brusquely before the concern took over. "What the hell has happened to you?"

"Like you really want to know or even care," Tony answered both questions at once.

"I do." Gibbs knew this was going to be a rough op to work and though he knew Tony had to find out about it, he couldn't jeopardize the case by having him involved, Fornell's rules.

"Follow me, DiNozzo," he ordered his senior agent.

"Right, Boss," Tony sneered the title.

Gibbs rolled his shoulders letting it slide, _but when this is settled he better cut that attitude_, he thought.

They got into the elevator and Gibbs hit the switch bringing it to its inevitable stop. "Tony you are my senior agent, my top investigator. You have got to realize that what happened last night wasn't what it seemed to be."

"I know what it was Gibbs," he sneered again, "I saw it go down."

Not too surprised that he figured it out, but even a bit more confused by his behavior this morning, he stared at Tony's face. He saw it then, the hurt and betrayal. "Aw, Tony. This wasn't my doing. Heck the whole set up wasn't even ours. Fornell asked for our assistance because your father was more willing to work with us. He didn't want you there, no matter how hard I tried to reason with him."

Tony squinted his tired eyes. He'd hardly slept last night and when he woke just left in the clothes he'd been when wearing when he fell into bed. "You mean it Boss," he said pleadingly.

"Yeah, I mean it," he gave him a light slap to the back of the head. "Do you really think Ziva would go for your dad? We just wanted you to believe it, so you'd stay away. Obviously you couldn't resist seeing your dad in action," he smirked.

"UGH, that's just so wrong!" Tony held his stomach as if he might literally be sick.

"Go clean up and make yourself as presentable as possible. This is a place of business after all," Gibbs smiled at him.

When they returned to the bullpen there were flowers on Tony's desk. The card read: _To my hairy butt, your charm is so much more my cup of coffee._

Tony smirked and turned to Ziva. "It's tea, Zee. Your cup of tea."


End file.
